


The Kirkwall Amusement Park

by GhostGarrison



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Alternate Universe - Amusement Park, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Depression, Fluff, Hugs, Identity Reveal, M/M, Pre-Slash, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-29
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-12-21 12:07:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11943852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostGarrison/pseuds/GhostGarrison
Summary: Anders' job as the carousel operator at the Kirkwall Amusement Park is rather lonesome, but a particular brown bear mascot always comes by and cheers him up.





	The Kirkwall Amusement Park

Anders wasn’t planning on working at the amusement park for this long. He took the job believing it would be only for the summer, that he’d find something more permanent and better paying by the time autumn came around. 

He didn’t, which is why he’s still working at the Kirkwall Amusement Park seven months later.

Initially Anders thought he’d only be here for the summer season, so he didn’t bother to get to know the people he worked with. Well, _‘with’_ being a loose term. The very first day, the management office placed him at the miniature carousel in the children’s section of the park. It’s a slow unexciting ride, tucked into the furthest corner where only the most desperate parents bring their children. It’s not nearly as exciting as the full-sized one toward the entrance of the park, so there are rarely more than a half-dozen children on his ride at one time.

Anders spends most of his days standing on aching feet, repeating the same forced-cheerful announcements and letting the automated system do the rest. There are hardly ever any problems with the ride, unlike some of the bigger, more popular ones where they have maintenance issues every other day.

It’s a calm position to have, but also very lonely.

But, at the very least, he always looks forward to the long weekends--Thursday through Sunday--where Anders’ one and only friend in the park stops by his ride for a visit. It’s nearly habit now, turning his attention toward the west entrance of the children’s area just about an hour before closing.

 _There._ A large brown bear comes into view, flanked by a stern red-headed woman. It’s one of the park’s mascots, Benny the Bear, meant to “promote caring for others and the earth” as the management carefully explained to him during employee training. Anders thinks the owning company gets a tax break if they can prove themselves _‘educational.’_  


The enormous bear waves at him excitedly as he approaches, putting an extra skip in his step on the way. Anders can’t help but smile and wave back, wishing he could go meet him instead of staying glued to his station. A few nearby children spot the mascot and flock toward him like a beacon, smiling and begging their parents for a picture with “the big fluffy bear.” Anders watches him from afar, working his ride on autopilot while his thoughts are focused elsewhere.

Finally, the Benny the Bear is free from the children’s relentless attentions, their parents dragging them away because the park is twenty minutes from closing and the walk to the entrance takes nearly as long. He waves at them until they’re all out of sight before turning and skipping toward Anders.

The bear does his signature little jig, hopping and twisting around on his feet before stopping in a dramatic pose, paws held out and wiggling. When nothing happens, the bear elbows his handler and motions towards Anders.

The handler, Aveline, rolls her eyes before turning to him. “He says hello.”

“Hello, Benny,” Anders returns warmly, talking right to the mascot’s unblinking face. He’s never seen the man underneath it, so he addresses him as the character’s name instead. “Have a good day?”

The tall bear nods.

“Make a lot of kids smile?”

The bear nods again, even more animatedly and theatrical than the first.

“Give lots of hugs?” Anders ventures, wondering if the question sounds too hopeful.

The bear nods once more before holding out his arms, waiting on Anders to step forward. He does, and Anders all but melts into the embrace. He can feel the strong arms beneath the faux fur curl around him, giving him a hug that lingers much longer than the quick side embraces with park guests. 

It’s this small moment that he really loves. It should be strange, hugging someone who is essentially a stranger, who has never spoken a word to him. But Benny the Bear has consistently gone out of his way to see him, spending time with him near closing. Even on a particularly rough day, when Anders spent all of his energy just go get himself out of bed, the mascot gave him a hug that nearly healed him.

“Oh, I almost forgot. He has something for you today,” Aveline says, digging into the mascot supply bag slung over her shoulder. She pulls out a flower--a yellow carnation, a little battle damaged but still beautiful as the waning sunlight dances off its petals. She places it in Benny the Bear’s upturn paw-gloves, who immediately holds it out to him.

Anders’ eyes flicker to the bear’s face, as if the molded plastic and fur would give him any hints.

“Thank you,” he says, feeling his face turn pink as he reaches for the small gift. Benny the Bear has given him small things before--a cookie from the Main Street bakery, a plain but hot coffee from the employee breakroom, a hug for him when he felt particularly blue.

The bear stays silent, dedicated to his character even though there aren’t any park guests around. Instead he reaches out with a furry paw, delicately taking the flower from Aveline’s hand. Anders watches him carefully reach up and tuck the short stem over his ear, the velvety petals tickling his temple. It’s a gesture so sweet that Anders has to look away before he says or does something embarrassing.

Aveline groans, pinching the fur at his shoulders and pulling him away. “Come now, it’s time to go back to The Den.”

The bear waves, doing his dance for Anders one more time before leaving.

+

It’s hot, nearly insufferable that day. The sun has been beating down on the cement all day, making the asphalt burning to the touch. The park is nearly empty because of the absurd weather, and though there’s not a single guest in sight, Anders is still not allowed to leave his station at the carousel--even to go to the nearest drinking fountain. His mouth is painfully dry, and he’s spent all afternoon cursing himself for forgetting his water bottle at home.

Until one is waved in front of his face. 

Anders blinks, eyes focusing on the red plastic bottle full of ice and water that he desperately needs. He eyes it wearily, unsure of what the catch may be.

“It’s for you,” says the short girl who looks almost too young to be working there. Merrill, he thinks her name is. She usually works the big swings, so it’s strange to see her on this side of the park. “It’s from Benny the Bear.”

At the news, Anders accepts the bottle graciously, quickly taking a satisfying swig of it and wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. “Is he around?”

“It’s too hot for mascots,” Merrill replies, somehow looking cheerful and dry in this heat. “In fact, he said it’d be _‘un-bear-able.’_ ”

If he wasn't so surprised, Anders would have laughed at the pun.“He _talked_ to you?”

“Yes, he wasn’t in costume. He really is very sweet and charming,” Merrill says, smiling warmly as she speaks from experience. Anders feels a slight burning jealousy in his chest, wishing he could meet his friend face to face and actually talk to him. “Anywho, could you point me toward Employee Building C? I’d surely hate to get lost again...”

+

One nice but breezy afternoon, Anders is taking his lunch break on a nearby bench in a shady alcove when he sees a hint of brown in his peripheral vision. He’s surprised but pleased to see Benny the Bear so early in the day, an unexpected treat he’s thankful to have.

“Benny,” Anders greets him, waving him over. The bear gestures toward the bench and it takes Anders a moment to realize what the mascot is asking. He immediately scoots over, making room for the bear to sit. “How are you?” 

The bear pauses, ultimately shrugging and shaking his head. It’s the first time Anders has seen him anything other than obscenely happy and energetic. It’s concerning.

Anders frowns, taking the chance to place his hand on the bear’s shoulder. “Are things okay?”

Benny turns on the bench to face him, almost as if he were to speak. Anders sits and listens intently, trying not to get disturbed by how the bear’s massive glass eyes show his reflection.

“There you are!” comes a voice from behind them. Both of their heads whip around to see Aveline quietly storming toward them. Benny jumps up from his seat, his permanently placid face somehow looking panicked. “Stop right there!”

Instantly, the bear turns tail and walks as fast as he can in the opposite direction.

“No you don’t,” Aveline shouts, speeding up her strides as she chases after him. “We have a birthday party!”

+

The weather matches his mood: grey and raining. 

He’d almost prefer the intolerable heat of last week over the dreadfully gray skies and never-ending drizzling rain of today. His day didn’t start off on the right foot--he slept through his alarm, it took forever for his car to start, the break room was completely out of coffee--and now because of the rain, none of the mascots will be outside.

Out of habit, Anders still looks toward the west entrance of the children’s section, looking for a big brown bear that he knows he won’t see. Their usual meeting time comes and goes, and Anders closes up his ride and shoves the key in his pocket.

It’s pouring now and he’s completely unprepared for it. In attempt to stay as dry as possible, Anders dashes from awning to awning, ducking wherever he can to get out of the rain. It turns out to be a futile effort. It only takes a minute for him to feel water already soaking through his thin jacket.

While he’s darting toward the shelter of one of the lunch gazebos, the rain suddenly stops pelting his skin. He looks up and nearly trips over his own two feet when he sees a big umbrella and an even bigger man holding it. A bigger, _extremely handsome_ man holding it.

“Hello,” the man says in a beautifully deep voice, matching the length of Anders’ strides to keep them both sheltered. “Thought you might need an umbrella.”

“I… Thank you.” Anders doesn’t know who this stranger is, but he’s thankful. Now he might stay dry enough to keep it from soaking through his car’s seat. They’re walking together, shoulder to shoulder under the umbrella’s protection, toward the employee building when Anders realizes something. The man isn’t wearing an employee uniform.

With the tight park security, Anders was certain he wasn’t a park guest. Had he gone to the employee building, changed, and gone back into the park? Why?

“So,” Anders begins casually, his curiosity getting the better of him. “Where do you work? A ride or...”

The man turns his head, brown eyes staring at him for a few long moments. “You don’t recognize me?”

“Uhm...” Anders begins, wracking his brain for who this man could be. The park is huge, and Anders has gone nearly a year without meeting half of its employees. Plus, Anders would have remembered a face like his: a strong nose, a square jaw edged by a trimmed beard, warm brown eyes. “Am I supposed to?”

The man stops in his tracks, forcing Anders to stop too in order to stay under the umbrella’s shelter. He pushes the handle of the umbrella into Anders’ hands before stepping back, just to the edge of its protection.

And he _dances._

It takes only a second for him to recognize it. Anders’ eyes widen, voice coming out shaky in disbelief. “Benny…?”

“Actually it’s Hawke,” the man says, grinning brightly. “Garrett Hawke. The bird mascot position was unfortunately taken.”

Even with the confirmation, Anders can’t believe it. This man is Benny the Bear… This man is the one who kept him company all these months of working at the Kirkwall Amusement Park, the one who brought him water when he needed it and snacks when he didn’t. This man is the one who gives incredible hugs, who can tell when Anders is having a bad day, who escapes his own handler to spend time with him.

This man... is his _friend._

When he realizes he’s been staring for a long time, Anders blinks and looks away to hide how his face is heating up.

Hawke’s cheerful expression quickly turns to a frown. “Not a good surprise?”

“What? No! I’m just…” Anders pauses, trying to think of the right thing to say. “Really glad to see you, for real this time.”

Hawke flashes him a smile so warm that Anders can actually feel it in his heart. They’re still standing in the park in the pouring rain, huddled together under a single umbrella--but none of that matters. 

In fact, Anders barely noticed. The only important things in his world at this moment are under the umbrella.

Anders finds himself encircled by familiar strong arms, pulling him to Hawke’s broad chest. Even the hug is just right. This really is Benny the Bear. He hugs back in equal force, hoping it would show just a fraction of the gratitude he has for this man.

“Anders,” Hawke says, and it sounds so nice to hear him say his name. “Would you like to go out for a drink? Or maybe get something to eat?”

Anders nods, hiding his face in the folds of Hawke’s jacket. 

“Yes.”

**Author's Note:**

> Just a silly fill for a prompt from @drawsshits that I wrote awhile ago. I just love to write Anders with severe depression, apparently.
> 
> Find me on tumblr @ storybookhawke


End file.
